The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be embodiments of the invention.
Core muscles or so-called core are comprised of a number of muscles with the primary muscles which provide foundational support located in the abdominal area of the body. These muscles can provide support and strength to the lumbo sacral junction, which is the region of the body where the spine connects to the pelvic bones.
Many large industries focus on development of muscles comprising the core muscles, for management of low-back and other body pain, as well as increased health and fitness, and improvement of one's body aesthetic. Since the core provides stability and strength to the body, there is much focus on core development to improve athletic performance.
There are a number of professionals and practitioners involved with developing and training the core. Health care professionals may focus on developing the core to manage pain, wherein such development may include reduction, elimination, and prevention of pain. Health care professionals include physical therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, physiatrists, and osteopathic, sports medicine, and orthopedic physicians. Practitioners and trainers may focus on working with patients and clients to develop their core muscles for strength and fitness, overall well-being, as well as for aesthetic reasons. These professionals may include personal and fitness trainers, Pilates and yoga instructors, and students and teachers of practices such as tai chi. There are a number of available instructional exercise videos and DVDs, on-line videos, and downloadable apps that focus on fitness, strength, body shaping, and/or agility training, and these generally include a substantial focus on development of the core. Coaches for a variety of sports including football, baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, and volleyball are increasingly encouraging the development and use of the core muscles for improved stability, balance, endurance, and performance.
In general, the aforementioned focus on core is on development and strengthening. Another focus for core training may be the timing or sequencing aspect of core contraction with respect to body movements. Core contraction, as used herein refers to a gentle tightening of the core muscles, in particular the inner unit core muscles, for support of the lumbo-sacral junction and the body overall. There are a number of foundational muscles included in the broad heading of core muscles, with the transverses abdominus generally agreed to be most important for lumbo-sacral junction support. The intensity of the contraction may scale with the increase in load on the body and additional muscles are generally recruited as needed.
In 1996, researchers identified a connection between the timing relationship of core contraction and body movements with low-back pain. They examined two groups of subjects. One group was experiencing low-back pain and the second group of subjects was not. Using ultra-sound sensor techniques, the core was monitored through the transverses abdominus muscle while the subjects performed rapid movements with their arms. They found subjects who were not experiencing low-back pain contracted their core milliseconds prior to the arm movements. While those who were experiencing low-back pain did not contract their core prior to the arm movements. One interpretation of this data is that contraction of the core adds stability to the lumbo-sacral junction, and therefore contraction of the core prior to certain body movements may be beneficial for low-back pain management. The benefits of timing training may extend well beyond pain management into overall fitness and strength improvement and the improvement of athletic performance.
Shortcomings of currently available products and system solutions include the following:
A. Monitoring the core muscles is difficult which makes learning difficult since without feedback, it is difficult to know whether or not the core is being contracted properly. There are no known relatively low-cost devices or systems to enable the core to be easily monitored. Even physical therapists or personal trainers may use their hands on their client to feel if they are contracting their core. This is further complicated if the subject is moving and contracting their core simultaneously.
B. Teaching the timing aspect of core training is difficult since with currently available devices and systems, it is difficult to monitor the core and body movements and their timing relationship.
C. Developing procedural memory to achieve desired timing relationships between core contractions and specific body movements requires repetition. Such repetition may be most effectively taught if the timing sequence may be encouraged and practiced throughout the day including morning, noon, and night.
D. Self-teaching or teaching one's self without an instructor is very difficult. There is a movement of increased personal responsibility for health care in the US due in part to increasing health costs and greater complexities in the health care system. With currently available devices and systems, it is difficult for an individual to learn about proper usage of their core muscles.
E. There are no known devices or systems that enable the promotion of core contraction support outside of training situations. Anecdotally, a person may spend an hour with a personal trainer in a fitness facility, spending much of the time focusing on development of the core, then (say) drop their car keys in the parking lot on their way to their next appointment and have no direct way to encourage or remind themselves to utilize their core for support as they bend down to pick up their keys.
Embodiments of the inventive devices and systems presented in this disclosure may address each of the short comings of currently available products and system solutions.
Embodiments disclosed include a device that may be worn on or near the body, and software that may be run coincidentally with the device on a handheld device such as a smart phone, electronic pad, or dedicated device or PC. In some applications, more than one device may be utilized in the system.